


Loyalty

by WhiteNabi



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Attempt at Humor, Betrayal, Friendship/Love, Infidelity, Marriage, Mystery, Victorian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 19:30:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8413816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteNabi/pseuds/WhiteNabi
Summary: Two women have a discussion of which leads to a surprising discovery.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I left out some tags in order for the story to be enjoyed by itself. If you are angered that tags were omitted, I apologize.

“I’ve slept with him you know, “ she said in a stirring spectacle of honestly.

 

Staring intently at her embroidery, she discreetly glanced up to see my reaction.

 

Feigning ignorance, I nonchalantly replied, “Oh, to whom are you referring?”

 

“Your husband,” she said with no pretense. Her facade was stoic and void, as most likely, she had spent years cultivating it just for this moment. No doubt in her mind, she had already presumed my actions, preparing for the worst of me to spill out. 

 

But no, I would not boil in rage. I would not give her the satisfaction. 

 

I smiled, “Well I suppose it was quite obvious, with those little field flowers you liked to leave near our windowsill.”

 

A crack in her mask appeared, but was quickly covered up. 

 

“You knew they were from me?”

 

“I distinctly remembered they were the same flowers that you gave in a voucher of our friendship.”

 

“Yes, Felicia, but that was almost 15 years ago when we just children. Quite a stretch, don’t you think?”

 

We stood there in silence, with the room soaking up our scarcely concealed emotion. She gave out first, always one to give under pressure. My dear friend decided to mutter out a soliloquy of her romance.

 

“Oh how you scorned me. He had always asked me to dance first, and you second because I asked for it. Oh poor Fanny, she has no partner, I would say to him. Then he would hide the troubled look on his face and dance with you cordially.”

 

“But Helen, you knew I didn’t have a partner since I turned down all who asked.”

 

She smiled dimly, “Yes, but you accepted his didn’t you?”

 

“Only to appease your hunger.”  


 

She frowned curiously, a crinkle appearing on her forehead, “What hunger? I was thin as a whip back then, and I still am lovely in form.” We both knew what hunger I had meant, so I didn’t answer. I had planned to stay resigned, but instead brashly spoke of vengeful words in my angel-like manner.

 

“I slept with him you know.”

 

“Who”, she spurned mostly to be affirmed by what she already thought.

 

“Your husband.”

 

Helen laughed, giddy and sad. 

 

“He’s slept with all the woman in town, even old Becky Murdock!”

 

My eyes widened in surprise, and I broke out of character in fistfuls of laughter as well. I started to cry from giggling, but later it turned to horrible sobs. 5 years of preparing for this conversation, and I still couldn’t keep in control.

 

She held me as if I was a little girl. From her tight grip, I could feel apprehension and scorn, but also the gentle caress from our childhood.

 

I spoke in tears, “Do you love him? I would divorce him in a heartbeat for you.”

 

She shook her head, “I wasn’t even leaving those flowers for him. I was leaving them for you.”  
I jolted up, happiness stirring in places it hadn’t for a long time. 

 

She continued, “I had been angry at your marriage. He was just a plaything for me, yet he managed to take you away. I left those flowers to remind you of your betrayal, and he misunderstood.”

 

I stiffened, “He didn't really take my heart. It was my parent's decision. More importantly, you slept with him even though you don’t love him?”  
Shaking her head no, she hesitated, “I...lied. I haven’t slept with him. Although he certainly tried.”

 

I laughed again, and before she mistook it for hysteria I told her, “I lied also!”

 

“I knew it! I knew you wouldn’t sleep with my old bag of a husband!”

 

We clung to each other, dying from our hiccups and fits, that if anyone were to hear, they would think hyenas were crawling around the place. Our desperate holds against each other turned more soft and loving. 

 

I whispered, “I love you.” Luckily she didn’t ruin the moment by going into her crazy rants or wondering why I did. She just replied, “I love you too.”

 

We kissed sweetly, better than any reality or dream.  
“What are we going to do?” she asked.

 

If she had said this in worry or discouragement, I would have left her in a heartbeat. But with her voice filled with hope, I smiled, glad that my answer was filled with it too.


End file.
